A Strange Coincidence.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 October 1938, Page 4

A Strange Coincidence.

A certain well-known resident of Palmerston North motored to Wellington recently and on the journey was accosted by a man who asked for a lift along the way. Returning thanks to the driver when leaving the car, the passenger made the startling remark that a dead body would be carried in the car, and further offered the information that Hitler would be dead within six months. Continuing on his way the motorist was next accosted bj by a policeman and asked to take on a man who had been injured in an accident. The man died, and the motorist is now wondering who was the prophet. New Guinea Axes.

A collection of native stone axes discovered in New Guinea by Dr F. K. G. Mullerried, of Mexico, during a recent geological survey carried out by him in search of oil, will soon come into the possession of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The gift was announced to the authorities by Dr Mullerried in Auckland when he arrived from Sydney by the Niagara. He said the axes differed from the majority of other native implements, and geology proved that they were not as ancient as many found in other lands, supporting the theory that New Guinea was a comparatively young country. The axes were invariably found where native habitations stood originally. Misguided Choice.

Owing to a misguided choice of material, a pair of blackbirds that are building a nest under the roof of a Christchurch bungalow had their work undone for them recently. Their human co-tenant in the , bungalow spent the day laying out the section, marking off the areas of garden and lawn with pegs and string. Starting work in the first light of dawn, the blackbirds picked up the end of a length of string and. carried it into their nest. More and more was hauled up and interwoven with the straw already collected, so that when the owner of the string came out after breakfast he found it stretched taut from the eaves to peg to which the other end was tied. For three or foui inches along the edge of the spouting the paint was rubbed off by the friction of the string, showing how the birds had tugged to free the fast end. Youthful Enthusiasm.

In one of his last letters home. Captain Robert Falcon Scott, the Antarctic hero, urged his wife to bring up their son to take an interest in natural history, which he considered a bcttci out-door occupation than games. Many parents the world ovei have adopted the idea, one of them being a certain (Christchurch) resident, who, however, has realised with a shock that youthful enthusiasm needs some guidance. While he was digging in the garden, his three and a-half years old son was busy collecting and examining various “wee beasties. Excited over the discovery of such a creature as he had never seen before, the kiddie came running up, shouting Look Daddy A new sort of worm, with a Whole lot of little legs!” Daddy obediently Ipoked, and saw in the little laddie’s cupped hand, a big centepede, a creature, which can give a nasty nip with its poison fangs.

The London, Midland, Scottish has more than 800 miles of railway line involved in repairs now going on, absorbing 95,000 tons of steel rails and 65,000 tons of chains to hold them; 1 365 000 sleepers, and nearly ten million screws and ferrules to secure them.